An electronic device of hybrid architecture includes two parts, a first part and a second part, each of which is provided with its own main board, processor and so on. One of the two parts is capable of operating independently, for example, as a PAD, and the two parts can be connected with each other to operate as a whole.
In the electronic device of the above architecture, the part capable of operating independently includes a number of hardware components such as a wireless network adapter, a camera, a touch screen and a sensor. When the two parts are connected with each other, problems with component sharing may occur if these hardware components are to be used by the system operating as a whole.
Conventionally, such sharing is achieved by using a switcher in the form of a hardware circuit. That is, the hardware components can be switched, via a hardware circuit, from being connected to a first main board to being connected to a second main board. In this way the hardware components can be shared.
However, during implementation of the embodiments of the present application, the inventors found at least the following problems in the prior art. A hardware switcher is required, thereby increasing cost and complexity in hardware design and layout. Meanwhile, since each component may have its unique interface, the hardware switcher needs to be compatible with all the interface specifications. This also adds to difficulty in hardware design.